The seven days of the death
by Suryallee
Summary: 'It is Better to love wisely as too hotly; because the latter will only lead to ruin and tears whereas the former will bear fruit and happiness.' Old sayings… Ghost story in Middle Earth Stile with a dark outlook on Dwarven customs dealing with their dead. I do not own anything of the Hobbit, I merely wrote a fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

**The seven days of the death**

' It is Better to love wisely as too hotly; because the latter will only lead to ruin and tears whereas the former will bear fruit and happiness.'  
Old sayings…

**Part one, and so, it begins…**

Fili was watching the enfolding scene with Bard and Thranduil with trepidation. He had feared already that something like this would be happening once they had taken back the mountain. The look in his uncles eyes had been unmistakable. Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, the next King under the mountain had fallen victim to the curse on the house of Durin the Deathless.

He had been tainted with the same curse that had felled his grandfather Thror; goldfever, the dragon-sickness, greed, whatever you wanted to call it.  
Groaning the heir apparent rubbed his weary face and retreaded from the balcony without to look after the receding group of elves and men. He did not need to look to know that this would dissolve into a lot more trouble as they all could deal with in the very end. It was their burglar that worried Fili more right this moment. Bilbo, who Fili believed to have the Arkenstone hidden somewhere on his person or elsewhere in the mountain.

Fili had seen the Hobbit figed around and his guilty looks made it easy for the clever Dwarf to connect the dots in his brain. Nothing else made any sense under the given circumstances, Bilbo had to have the accursed stone. They had found it nowhere in the massive hoard and search, they did. Day and night, Thorin was relentless in his want to have the stone once again in his grasp.

He knew that Bilbo only followed an advice given to him from Gandalf, still, Bilbo was kind of betraying Thorin with this and as much Fili thought that Bilbo and Gandalf had it right, the follow up would endanger Bilbo to an extend that the young Dwarf was not willing to let happen to Bilbo. He didn't know what their Halfling was planning exactly but whatever it was that his little witty head was currently cocking out, it was too dangerous for Bilbo and Fili would stop it! Settling his mouth into a firm line, Fili walked down the steps from the archers balconies that lead to the former entrance hall of Erebor. His sharp blue eyes never leaving Bilbo's small frame that hurried down the same staircase in the distance down.

Bilbo was aware of it that Fili had taken to the weird hobby to watch him over the entire time that they had traveled.

He couldn't exactly pinpoint when it had started but suspected that it had already the moment he had opened his green door to the brothers. In the beginning it had unnerved and unsettled the Hobbit greatly. Now, it made his task to do only more problematic… oh how Bilbo wished for it that Gandalf was here! The wizard surely could have shaken Thorin out of whatever had taken hold on the King and most of the other Dwarrow's.

The only ones that he could see that hadn't been taken with the Goldfever were Fili, Kili, Bofur and Balin. The others were in various states of it, ranking from a slight affliction as in Dwalin's case to a heavy contamination as in Nori's and Thorin's. With the last having the worst case of them all. Gandalf had warned Bilbo about something like that happening once they all saw the masses of Gold in Erebor. He had foreseen the trouble in the waiting, had even told Bilbo about the affliction of Dwarves to Gold and masses of jewels.

He shortly played with the thought to use his ring to vanish on the heir of Thorin, to hide from his sharp eyes that Bilbo could even now boring into his back!

It still unsettled him to be the sole recipient of the blazing gaze of Fili, prince under the mountain.

What did he want from Bilbo anyways?! Bilbo wasn't certain but then again, he was only a simple Hobbit that wanted his home and his friends, preferably, safe, alive and sound in mind while he walked back to the Shire! Fili Durin on the other hand, did not play fair! He made Bilbo nervous and flighty and most of all, he confused the hell out of the poor hobbit with his unusual behavior.

It had become apparent to Bilbo that he was watched after the incident with the Troll's.  
Now, that had been a nasty business, Bilbo didn't think that he would ever forget the stench of those creatures, ever! It took him a while to realize it that Fili had actually watched him covertly for a while longer already. Once Bilbo got that thought, he had been shocked. And the way the heir did it was unsettling the Hobbit. Sometimes, Bilbo caught Fili with a look in his eyes that was scorching and filled with so many hidden and unnamed emotions.

He did not know what to make of the Dwarves apparent weird behavior.

While walking Bilbo remembered one particular moment very clearly and shuddered at the memory.

They had reached the bottom of the Carrock at nightfall. All too tired to do much more as to fall down where they stood, most drifted off into an uneasy sleep as soon as they hit the floor. Bilbo had taken refugee next to a large rock. It shielded him a bit from the harsh wind and the cold of the night. No one dared to make a fire, not after having just escaped Azog and his goons.

He heard the telltale sound of Dwarvish boots hit the gravel when someone walked over to his place. At first, Bilbo had thought it could be Bofur but when the body of the Dwarf in question hit the earth the grunt told Bilbo otherwise. Opening one eye tiredly he saw right at Fili's profile in the half-darkness. The young heir of Thorin rubbed his eyes tiredly.

Clearly he was outworn and just as tired as the rest of them all.

For a long moment no one said a word. Then Fili suddenly stopped with his gazing into the distance in silence. "You are still awake?" Bilbo opted for a tired nod. Somehow he couldn't fall asleep. He blamed it at the adrenaline still coursing through his blood and the cold, unforgiving stone he huddled against.

"No, I mean yes I am still awake and cannot find sleep. Too much happened in a too short amound of time, I guess. Makes it harder to find rest." Next to Bilbo, Fili nodded slowly. "Same here. I cannot find rest before I have fully calmed down. Too many close calls for the day for my taste!" Looking around, Bilbo saw Kili had huddled up next to his uncle. Already fast asleep. Even Thorin seemed to have fallen asleep already with the young Dwarf practically cuddled up in his side. Bilbo suppressed a tired giggle at the sight and next to him he felt Fili move until he saw the Dwarf give the couple the same look. Amused gazes meet and both broke out in silent chuckles.

"Ah, yes Kili is a bit scared right now I guess?" Bilbo laughed lightly. "A bit? He coddles Thorin like a fauntling would a teddy bear!" That statement lead to a new bout of chuckles between them. Fili finally nodded sagely, lips quirking up in his mirth. "Not that uncle terribly seem to mind him doing so… he has always done this hugging thing when he was scared in the past. I gues we all got used to his quirks." He gave Bilbo a solemn look.

"How are you? Any injuries?"

Bilbo shook his head tiredly. "No, just a bit sore feeling. A few scratches and bruises but nothing dangerous, I assure you. A good nights sleep and I should be fine again, you?" Fili shrugged. "One of my shoulders took a hit and I have many scratches and bruises but luckily nothing broken and neither do I have cuts from their cursed blades. Fili got a deep wound on his left arm, Oin saw to it already. Otherwise, I think we got away damn lucky."

Bilbo nodded and agreed softly to that. a new shiver joined the few that had run over him since he had dropped down near the rock. Bilbo was feeling cold and he tried to huddle deeper into his ruined waistcoat. "Cold?" Fili's voice cut through the night sounds again and Bilbo nodded once more. "Yes, terribly so I fear. This weather is not exactly Hobbit friendly." Next to him, Fili broke out in a bout of amused chuckles at Bilbo's words. Before Bilbo knew what was going on he felt the Dwarf sidle over to him and envelope him into the warmth of his embrace.

Fili simply ignored the soft protests of Bilbo that this wasn't proper and continued to enfold the slighter body into his embrace until Bilbo was settled in his lap while Fili's back was to the stone. Huffing and puffing also did not work with the infuriating blond. Fili did not let go, no matter what Bilbo tried. In the end, Bilbo gave it up, his heart wasn't really into it anyways. And the Dwarf was Warm! So much in fact that he somewhat worked like a furnace in Bilbo's back that soothed the chills away.

He fell asleep right after he had stopped struggling. To tired to complain about the hand in his hair that seem to pet him soothingly.  
After that night at the stone outcrop, Fili took to it to sleep near Bilbo until the debacle in Mirkwood and even there the Dwarf had made sure that Bilbo slept near the bars of his cell. Had guarded Bilbo so he would not be seen from the Elves on their patrols and had shared his food with the poor hobbit.

The odd looks had increased in that time.

He had been the only one to see the ring and Bilbo using it too. It had taken Fili not long to figure out that Bilbo used something to make him invisible. He had given the ring one look and had recoiled quickly. "That thing is not a normal ring, Bilbo!" eying it carefully Fili had not dared to touch it, despise the clear want in his eyes. Bilbo had fearfully watched the battle that seem to rage inside of the Dwarf before he had turned around to face his cell wall instead of the ring.

"Bilbo, put it away, please. This… thing… is like the rings I heard about as a Dwarfling. Like the seven rings of my kin, forget by Celebrimbor and his smiths of old. Just… ten times worse?" He gave the Hobbit a haunted look that had Bilbo fast put the ring away. "What do you mean, Fili?"  
Fili heaved air into his lungs before he crouched down in front of the bars.

"I think it is an evil thing and if we would not need it to escape I would ask you to throw it into the next fire chasm we run across! Magic rings have never brought something good and will never do so either. All of the rings in this world are cursed from Sauron. You better use it wisely, my friend and do not show it to anyone else either! Especially not uncle. Not that I do not trust them, it is more that I do not trust that, thing!"  
In the end, Bilbo had promised to Fili that he would keep it secret and not short after they had escaped.

His hand touched the ring in his pocket calmly.

He needed to get away from the overprotective Fili to do what he must. Bilbo knew as much. He suspected that Fili knew that Bilbo had taken the arkenjewel and now tried to stop him. with one last look over his shoulder the Hobbit resolved himself and slipped the ring on the same moment he slipped around the next corner.

Fili saw Bilbo fiddle with something in his pocket just a second too late to react.

Running down the last distance he rushed around the corner that Bilbo had rounded only a moment before to see… nothing. Not even footprints in the dust gave Bilbo away, somehow the hobbit had avoided making them. As light-footed as Bilbo was it that was to expect. His fist hit the wall next to Fili with an assortment of many interesting curses in Khuzdul while Fili's face morphed into a grimace of suppressed anger and hopelessness. Turning with another curse, Fili strode resolutely down another corridor after some moments of heavy thinking.

'Looks like I have to resort to my last of plans', the Dwarf thought defeated.

It wasn't something he did look forward to and yet at the same moment it settled a darkly arche in his chest, Fili let a sigh escape his lips. He would have preferred it to not to have to do to such an maneuver on Bilbo but as the things lay, his greatest worries and fears were about to come true as well as that Bilbo left him absolutely no choice as to do this to him.

While he walked Fili passed Kili and Bofur on his way. The two fell in step with him silently.

His thoughts turned back to the day that unusual couple had been found out by Thorin…

It had been on the way down the Carrock that his uncle had finally caught on. What resulted into a shouting match between, Kili, Thorin and Bilbo. The Halfling had known and even encouraged the two to find hope in each other. Had helped them to hide from Fili's uncles gaze so they could sneak off to have some quite moments to themselves, had even taken the blame for their disappearing acts more than one time without an complain.

It had endeared him to Fili deeply as well as too the family of Bofur.

All they had wanted was to be happy, sadly Thorin needed a shouting match between Bilbo and himself to see reason.

"If I had known that your reputation and lineage is more important to you as the happiness of one of your nephews, I would have staid home or have that Azog have you! Are you really that callous to not see the love that lays between the two?" Bilbo had snorted at the gapping that Thorin had done after those words, a cynical sound that soo did not seem to fit with the normally friendly creature at all. Another snort escaped Bilbo's lips when he walked away from Thorin as far as possible. Bilbo then had given a look full of such distaste over his shoulder at Thorin that Thorin had reeled back from it as if the Hobbit had physically slapped him and after a while he had halfheartedly carved in.

Ever since, Bofur and Kili had been inseparable.

Where one was, the other was not far from to find. A truly bonded pair if Fili had ever seen one in his short life. It seemingly did soften down Thorin too since he began to make remarks on it that Kili and Bofur behaved as such lovers should, even reluctantly acknowledging that they held in the boundaries of Dwarrow sensibilities of what was proper behavior and what was not.

In the end he had officially approved of the pair in Laketown and it was left at that.

Rounding around a corner that lead to the long walkway to the royal rooms that the brothers and Bofur now used, Fili moved like a ghost along the long hallway.

He had always feared that their quest would probably end in a disaster. Fili had these foreboding dreams all through his youth in Ered Luin, now he was certain that something awful would be happening soon. Gritting his teeth, Fili stopped shortly to ball his fists until his brothers hand gripped his shoulder. It was enough to shake the heir of Erebor out of his anger again. He shortly laid his hand onto that of his brothers before he walked quietly on. Another memory came to his mind. One that was of an much happier note as the last.

He had simply believed that he would have more time…

The door looked cheerily green, even in the darkness of the night that Kili and he arrived at it.

They had searched for hours for the right one! Gandalf truly could have been more forthcoming with the directions given. Both looked at each other and shrugged. When Bilbo opened the door, his normally friendly and cute face set into a grimace, Fili felt his heart stop a beat or two… only to beat suddenly much faster as before. Outward he had let nothing show on his face. Had been the perfect picture of indifference when Bilbo tried to close the door into their faces.

Inwardly, Fili had laughed and laughed and laughed.

He had wanted to dance and sing even! The more the evening grew late, the more he had simply wanted to snatch Bilbo up under one arm and bring him to his mother to keep him safe there until he returned. Of course, that was a silly thought… but tempting none the less.  
Fili had early on known that the quest needed all of his awareness to survive it in one piece. He had no time to romance the Halfling.

And not the freedom for it either, he was The Heir apparent after all!

With that, came responsibility and many troubles his younger brother was thankfully spared from. On their adventure was simply no time to defy his uncle that much or to stain their group relationships with the troubles that came with having two headstrong feuding Durin's in their middle. It would have tested the boundaries too much and would have destabilized their group in the end.

But once this was over and done with, once he was free to do as he wanted, Fili had sworn silently to himself that he would be after Bilbo with all his might!

And if he had to resort to it to lock him into the damnable treasury of Erebor to hinder him to go back to the Shire, he would have done so. In getting their One's, Dwarrow were impossibly inventive if needed. And already back than, in Bilbo's home Fili had felt the beginning stirrings of his inherited possessiveness and need to keep Bilbo to himself grow with each moment that he did look at the almost tiny creature that fluttered around with adorably flailing arms.

Over the course of the next hours, he had been in hell.

Hoping that Bilbo would come and hoping at the same time that he would not, had warred inside of his Dwarvish heart. He had on one side, wanted his one to never leave his side again selfishly and on the other hand had wanted him to be safe and sound. When Bilbo finally showed up, he had collected his betting earnings because he had bet on Bilbo coming, together with Kili, Bofur and Gandalf as the only ones, and tried not to look too relieved.  
The Troll accident had left him shaking, the following madrun through the wilderness, exhausted and worried to the bone.

What if Bilbo had stumbled? Been caught in a spot without help? Been ripped apart by the Trolls?

In Rivendell he had not let him out of his sight for more than the time it took Thorin, Balin and Gandalf to speak with Lord Elrond. The wizard had taken Bilbo along with him to it. Fili had not liked it, his possessiveness had already grown too deep to take the risk to loose sight of Bilbo. And that Bilbo gazed at the elves all the time with that awed look of his had not made it easier for Fili to stop himself from simply snatching Bilbo up and carry him out of the blasted elven realm to stop him from it either.

He wanted Bilbo to look at him, only at Fili with that adoration in his eyes.

Unsurprisingly, this had not exactly endeared the elves to Fili either way and in the end Fili had been glad when they had to leave.  
Of course his brother had somehow known from the beginning on.

Kili had made certain that Bilbo spend time with the brothers and later with Bofur and them. The toymaker too had taken a shine in the Hobbit and Fili was sure, if his brother had not happened that Bofur had tried his luck on Bilbo for sure. But once Kili had begun to spin his net around the Miner and toymaker, Bofur had been lost to the younger Durin.

After all, who could escape the famous charms of his family unscathed?

No one Fili had ever heard about and he had shrugged it off.

Well, if you did not count in his uncle into the list of charmers, that was it. Thorin could not seduce a fly into letting him alone if needed, let alone the Halfling into reacting less jumpy around Thorin. What maybe had to do with the pesky fact that the King was simply awful to the poor little fellow all the time?

Luckily even the thickheaded uncle of Fili slowly learned his lections and warmed somewhat up to Bilbo, what in turn pleased Fili. Still, Bilbo kept his guard up around Thorin for as long the journey took. That also pleased Fili to note, since he did not want Bilbo near his uncle too much!

He wanted Bilbo for himself and knew only to well about the magnetism that was Thorin Oakenshield.

He stopped in frontage of an old oak and steel door that was leading to his new chambers.

Opening the old lock with the key he now wore around his neck, he stepped in without to close the door again. The other two did not follow him in, they rather took to stand guard outside while he walked through the room to the door to his new bedroom. He vanished inside from their sight.  
Inside, Fili went over to the trunk that sat on the end of his bed and kneeled. Opening it he begun to rummage around in his few belongings carelessly until his hand touched an familiar small box of steel. He grabbed it and closed the trunk again. Then he rose with a grunt and walked around the trunk to sit onto his unmade bed.

This Steelcase held something that Fili always held dear and near to him, no matter where he went in his life.

Like all Dwarrow's, Fili had begun his workings on his courting gifts early in his life. Being always on the move since he was born, never really having a home to call their own, Durin's folk had learned to keep their dearest treasures close to their bodies all the time as not to loose them accidentally when they had to move quickly. Inside of the smallish box was something that was more valuable to Fili as the fabled Arkenstone of his forefathers.  
When he opened it, the top revealed a necklace inside.

The links were made of Mithril and rare white gold, it made no sound when he took it out of the case to hold it up into the light of one of the rare windows that had survived intact in the mountain after Smaug had come. This rooms had once belonged to Frerin, the brother of Thorin and his mother. Deceased when the Dragon had taken their home. He had died in the fights of the gate long before Fili had been born.

Now, the window let in just enough light of the late evening sun to let the metal of the Necklace shine and sparkle in the light like water in sunlight. It reflected the light onto the walls and had Fili loose the hard edge of his sharp smile. On the thin but still much masculine looking band hung exactly three beads. Two, had always hung on it, made by his hands once he was old enough and skilled enough to make them.

Both were made of the stone that Fili had chosen to represent him at a young age, sapphire.

The braids in his hair told the world around him that he was an accomplished silversmith and gem cutter in Dwarrow society. Once he had mastered the latter, he had worked on the beads and once he mastered the first, Fili had made the collar by his own hands. Actually it had been one of his master pieces, that necklace and the Gem's had been another when he had ended his apprenticeship under the best tutors of the Blue Mountain and beyond.  
Each of the line of Durin choose a craft or two to master it when young.

In Kili's case he had learned gem-cutter too and engraver so Fili's and his trades would not overlap too much and had accomplished both with the usual grace of his line; as a master in the end, like Fili had excelled in his chosen trades before Kili.

Both were accomplished blacksmith's too, since Thorin had taught his sisters children well in his own chosen trade in their youth. Never forgetting that they needed to know as much as he could teach them to survive until they had their home back. From their mother both had learned the art on negotiating and it often even showed when both prince's combined their efforts in gaining something through it.

But all of that would not help Fili with Bilbo and he knew that too. When it came down to the Hobbit Fili had soon learned that Bilbo could be more stubborn as the famous rock in the legends! He chuckled lightly, his Hobbit would have made a fine Dwarrow if born as one.

The beads were made of sapphires.

One was of the telling shade of the deep royal blue of the line of Durin and carved and cut in the design that marked the beat as Fili's and as a courting bead of the Dwarf to any other Dwarrow's that would ever look at it. The other was of a golden coloring. He had searched long and hard to find that particular color under all the ones presented to Fili once he made it known that he wanted one to make his courting beads.

They were extremely rare and this one glowed practically golden in any light as if it possessed one of its own.

That bead was carved so it was showing only Fili's chosen personal design and marked any who wore it as his chosen. The last bead was new, not in existence itself but in the way it was cut and all. He had found the stone on one of his excursions into the mines in the iron mountains and had kept it ever since out of a point he had not known.

When Fili had meet Bilbo, he had known why.

The almost greenish-blue stone too was a sapphire and also a rare colored one at that as his own stones were. Somehow, once he saw the Hobbit, he had associated him with green and growing things and nature itself. It had befitted Bilbo in Fili's eyes and so he had cut away on the stone on the journey when he was certain that no one was around to look upon his work or to disturb him. He needed silence and solitude to work at his best.  
Kili, understanding what was going on in his brothers head, had aided him whenever he could. Had even stood guard when needed and had distracted the others including their uncle all the time from what Fili was doing.

It had paid off a thousand times!

His blue gaze looked at it with a sad smile on his lips. The stone had the final form of a flower. It was an impossibly detailed rendering of a several Primroses, looking like a delicate band or crown and the flower meant as far Fili did know it, nothing less as; Eternal Love.

He had needed weeks to carve them out of the stone and more to bring them to shine later on.

One time, a goblin nearly found the case in his cloths until he was dislodged from Fili in his horror to maybe loose these important gems and the necklace to them like that. Later, he had checked in broad daylight that they all were still with him in one piece. No one had commended on it, all feeling the same and had done so too while looking away from each other respectfully. Not even the elves of Mirkwood had dared to take those cases or adornments from the Dwarrow, they had known that much to leave them with them after making sure that they held no possible weapons.

Fili gnashed his teeth and bore with their snooping in his most personal affairs, but would never forget about this in the future to come.

That blasted elf, Tauriel, looked mightily impressed at the fine working, whistled even lowly and had, luckily, let it slide without anymore comments as; 'He has no weapons, leave that case with him for the sake of the Valar and do not touch it!'.

Putting it back into the Steelcase, Fili unlocked his legs and stood again to stretch one last time before he briskly walked out of his rooms again.

He had his Hobbit to catch before Bilbo managed it to leave and that, most likely, for good.

Outside his rooms, the two others followed him like shadows again. Fili did not stop in the treasury and neither did he spare a look for anything else or anyone on his way down to the old entrance of the Mountain Kingdom. He simply walked on, silently avoiding to draw attention to himself. His companions did the same. Once being in the old hall before the doors, Fili stepped into the deep shadows and waited for Bilbo to come this way.  
Why he was so certain that Bilbo would take this route to make it out of the mountain was a simple logical conclusion. There was no other way out as trying to climb down from one of the highly situated balconies and since Bilbo was absolutely not found of heights in either way, he would have to use the barely restored door of the grand entrance hall to Erebor to escape. Fili had noted their Burglars fear of heights early on in the quest and had made certain that Bilbo did not got exposed to them often.

Besides, Dori and Gloin would guard the old archers platforms tonight and so, that way was literally out of question for Bilbo to use. Even invincible.  
The absolute silence in the hall made it a tad easier to pinpoint Bilbo when he finally appeared two hours of waiting later. Seeing his uncertainly, Fili knew that the Hobbit feared to be ambushed and made himself known after a while of observing the still visible Hobbit calmly for a short while. He did not know whenever he would see Bilbo again and if it even would be in this life.

As expected, Bilbo jumped when he saw Fili suddenly appear out of the dark shadows that had aided the Prince's hiding from sight. He saw out of the corner of his eyes Kili and Bofur move back the way to ensure that the two of them would be alone. Bofur even waved at Bilbo with a sad smile while Kili nodded at the Hobbit. It seemed to calm Bilbo if not confuse him.

Fili had expected as much.

"I was sure that you would take this way instead to try to steal the key from Thorin to escape through the hidden door." Fili's voice was calm, too calm and Bilbo did know that too from the looks of it. The Hobbit gulped and stepped a bit backwards.  
Fili sighed and crossed his arms over his wide chest.

Stepping up until he was two steps away from Bilbo he made certain to not spook the Hobbit even more. "I know that you have the stone and I can muse about it what you plan to do, Bilbo" He told the poor Hobbit carefully than he crocked his head just so to the side that Fili looked contemplative to Bilbo. "I will not even hinder you, Bilbo. It would be a futile try and I know that you can be more stubborn as a Dwarrow when it comes down to it. Allow me one question thought?"

Bilbo gave him a contemplating look back. he looked mightily sorry to Fili who tried to take in every feature of Bilbo while he tried to make the most of the short time he had with the Hobbit. Finally Bilbo nodded slowly. "By all means do ask, but why do you not stop me if I may ask? One would think you, your brother and Bofur would do so. I am a bit confused to say at last."

Fili only smiled sadly at that.

"I knew since the beginning of this journey that not all would go the way we all dreamed it to be, Bilbo. To be honest, I have always feared that it would end this or another way." He breathed in deeply. As near as Fili now stood to Bilbo, he could easily smell the scent of the Halfling. Honey, grass and something that was simply, Bilbo to Fili's senses.

"Although I cannot call it a good thing what you plan, I will not hinder you. Seeing that it is most likely the only thing that will make him see reason again, but be warned," He leaned in closely to Bilbo before he continued and gave the hobbit a grave look of veiled warning of the dangers to come, "This can cost you your life in the worst case, and will end in banishment in the better. Seeing how gold-sick my uncle already is, he will need a while to recover enough to see reason, I fear."

Another sigh left Fili's lips and for a moment he closed his eyes in his helplessness to prevent this all from happening.  
To his surprise he felt Bilbo suddenly step closer and enfold him in a earnestly meant hug. He had always marveled at Bilbo's capacity for being compassionate over others that he cared for and Fili had known that the small Hobbit did care for Kili and him in his own way. He still could not help himself from hugging Bilbo back while he could.

Leaning forward, Fili buried his nose in the curls of the slightly smaller man and closed his eyes again.

"I am soo sorry, Fili!"

Bilbo's voice sounded muffled from where he had buried his face into Fili's mantle. The prince chuckled mirthlessly.

"Don't be! I know that Gandalf goaded you on to do such if certain events took place, that old shrewd! But that is unimportant, just promise me to be careful, ok?" The hobbit head nodded against his chest where it still pressed into Fili and the Dwarf suddenly wished he could hide Bilbo away somewhere from this all.

"Will you not consider another way at least?" He knew, his question was only formality and Bilbo seemingly knew it too because a unhappy laugh escaped him.

They staid silent after that, just holding each other for long minutes. Without to let go on Bilbo, Fili put one hand into his pocked and removed the case. He opened it silently and simply held it there for a moment. Only staring at the necklace and the Beads. He knew that Bilbo wore no jewelry or even a chain around his neck so, when he finally took it out of the case all Fili had to do was to lean back just slightly so to slip the long chain of mithril over the head of the surprised Hobbit to place it around Bilbo's neck.

"Wha… Fili?"

The Dwarf gave Bilbo a soft and open smile. Something seemed to settle within Fili seeing Bilbo with his courting necklace around his pale neck. Even if the poor hobbit had no idea of what it meant to the Dwarrow at his side. Bilbo eyed the chain and Bead's curiously before his wide eyed gaze went back to Fili.

"I… I can't take this! Why..?" His poor attempts on refusing the gift where wished away from Fili with putting a finger to Bilbo's lips. Efficiently silencing the Hobbit.

"Hush. It is mine to give since I made them and all I ask of you is to promise me something, Master Burglar." He grinned winningly at the befuddled Hobbit that finally gave him a defeated look in return.

"You will not let me change your mind, don't you, Fili?" The Dwarf shook his head one time, the smile still playing around his lips.

"No." Fili simply and with a huff, Bilbo finally carved and nodded softly. Meanwhile Fili ended his sentence in his mind with, 'after all, it was made for you'.  
"What do you want me to promise, Fili." His eyes looked weary and sad and it broke Fili's heart to see Bilbo look that way. steeling himself he refused to back down. Instead his hand went to the necklace to play with the green Bead before he took it and moved the chain inside of Bilbo's clothing Carefully.  
Fili did so without to touch any skin, he could not risk it to do so or he would loose any restrain he held onto!

"Promise me by Mahal and Yavanna that you will never take it off!" Fili's voice was firm and left for no argument and it made Bilbo arch a fine brow in his surprise. Never less, he slowly nodded after a while of deep thinking. "Very well, I…"

"No! Promise it to me By Mahal and Yavanna that you will not take my necklace off, Bilbo!" Fili interrupted Bilbo suddenly vehemently.

He startled Bilbo with it and with the sudden grabbing of the poor Hobbit's arms greatly, Fili could tell as much but he needed Bilbo to do it properly or it would not work what he did plan to do here. Gulping again, Bilbo gave him a cautious look before he repeated what Fili had asked for with a soft voice. Clearly not knowing what he was doing when he spoke the words out aloud that would doom his future unknowingly to him.

"Alright! Alright, calm down Fili! Oh Valar have mercy, what has gotten into you out of the sudden?" He gave the not bulging prince another look before he sighed.

"Oh well then… I, Bilbo Baggins promise to you, Fili Durin, by Mahal and Yavanna, to not take off this necklace freely for as long as I live! There, happy now you menace?"

The smile Bilbo got for his words could have only been described as dazzling. The hurried nods had Bilbo fear that Fili would accidentally hurt his neck, so strong were they and he had to laugh at the exuberance of the Dwarf.

"You are a real trouble maker, Fili Durin! But you know that, don't you?" Bilbo told him fondly and the swordsman just grinned in return. Looking to the world as if a mountain of troubles had suddenly fallen from his shoulders. Bilbo shook it off and thought nothing of it besides that he found Fili exceptionally handsome looking like this. So happy looking and so carefree for once.

Suddenly Fili froze and so did Bilbo in sudden alarm.

Looking around he saw Kili gesticulate at them hurriedly before he vanished around the corner again.

Fili let reluctantly go on Bilbo and instead took his hand to lead him to a crack in the boulder that had been hastily erected in the last days. There he shocked Bilbo again by suddenly pressing his forehead to Bilbo's before he let go on the Hobbit to quietly shoo him along on his way.  
"Please take care, Bilbo, we could not bear it if something would happen to you!"

He told the still bewildered hobbit before Bilbo lost sight of Fili.

Behind him, Fili looked outside and after him for a long while. The face contemplative and sad altogether. The two behind him did not say anything at all for the long it took him to mentally say his good byes to his Hobbit. When he finally turned Bofur caught his gaze.  
"Ye think that, that was wise? Bilbo knows not of what he got himself into. Mightily unfair if ye ask me. While I understand why ye did it this way, it is still somehow not fair to the poor laddy." Bofur told Fili with a cheerless look.

His mate simply took him into his arms and looked at Fili sadly.

"He did what he had to, Bofur. Otherwise, with the looming treat of all of us dying, what else could my brother have done to ensure that Bilbo is and will stay his to claim?"

Fili nodded to Kili's words.

"I know that I was not just to him, Bofur. But I cannot help myself! I wanted him for so long and have my duty to fulfill first, what else could I have done? With uncle mad, us sitting inside of this trap and no way to put a courting into action and Gandalf's meddling looming at the horizon, what else was there for me."

He gave Bofur a sad smile.

"You know as well as I do it that that blasted wizard would have hushed him back and away from us as soon this all was over anyways! Most likely, that was always his plan? I don't know but what I do know is that he cannot longer take Bilbo from my grasp in any way with this in place and the words spoken! For one time only, the meddling of Gandalf will bear no fruits."

He gave the toymaker a devious smile that made Bofur gulp and lean back into the comforting embrace of his mate.

"No matter what he plans and schemes now, Bilbo is mine, even not knowing it and that is all I need to know to be contend. If I die tomorrow I will do it with the surety that he will still be mine to claim I am, after all a Dwarf and of Durin's line to boot, did you really think that I would let him escape my grasp if I could thwart it?"

Fili's cold gaze was positively frightening now and worried Bofur, even knowing that he had nothing to fear of Fili, ever. Of course he knew how jealous the line of Durin could become when it concerned their Ones. He could sing a song of it himself, by Aule's beard, and what a song that would be! His mate was no exception from that rule. If anything he was even more devilish in getting what Kili wanted as his normally much calmer brother.

Obsessive, possessive and outright dangerous they all could become if someone threatened their families and their Ones, Fili was only showing the true colors of his house and heritage openly for a time being. He had always known that this side was hiding under the skin of the heirs of the house of Durin, in a way. it was one of the points why Bofur had needed so long to come to terms with his attraction to Kili and why he had held the youngest Durin on arms length for so long.

Once Kili had made up his heart and mind and had decided to go after Bofur in earnest, there had been no place in Arda in which he could have hidden himself from his much younger mate. Kili would have followed Bofur there to drag him back with him to Erebor.

Bofur just wished Bilbo would not have to suffer this through. He prayed to Mahal that they would stay alive through the next days to come so his gentle friend would not have to go through the hell that would await him otherwise. He liked the Hobbit genially and had a soft heart when it came down to his friends. But he also was aware of it that Bilbo was Fili's One. He did not want the lad to suffer a life without Bilbo, or him without Fili. And there was a big chance of one of them all dying in the next days.

Fili must have read his acceptance in Bofur's eyes because a honest smile suddenly played over his features.

Clapping a hand on his brothers mate's arm, Fili gave him a reassuring look. "Do not worry about our dear little Burglar, Bofur. That is my task now to do and nothing will change that again. I swear that I will never harm him willingly but you know that I could not have let him go from me in any other way as the one that I choose to enact upon him. He is Mine, was always Mine and will stay that way until the remaking of Arda now. And I will take care of what is Mine!"

With that he removed his hand and walked back into the darkness of Erebor in long, confident strides.

Fili watched his uncle nearly throw Bilbo over the balcony a day later.

Barely held back by the combined power of Dwalin and Bofur. Kili was held back by Balin and Bombur. Thorin, he noted nothing of what happened behind him but Bilbo saw the mad glint in Fili's eyes when Thorin held him over the edge. The last thing that Bilbo ever saw of Fili alive, was the look of utter helplessness and sadness in the blue eyes of the Dwarf when he had to crawl over the rim of the edge to climb down the ladder.  
Once the ladder was brought up again, Fili was released.

He turned fast and hit Dwalin with his fist in the chin in his utter fury than he stalked away from the honestly shocked Dwarf and all others. Until his death, Fili did not speak a word again with either, Dwalin or his uncle. It puzzled them all greatly but no one dared to question it. All had known how much Fili seem to like the tiny Burglar and thought that he was mourning his friendship lost.

In his rooms, Fili had sat for hours later in the darkness.

His head in his hands, simply breathing in and out to calm his temper down enough again. What he had feared had come to pass, Bilbo was lost to him now. At least until this was solved out or else was happening. Either way, he felt that he would not see the hobbit again in this life and only the thickness of the stonewalls kept the company and his uncle from hearing his screams of utter rage and despair this night.

The night before the final battle, Fili spend in his room alone and away from the others.

He already knew that he would not survive the next day, felt the surety of this in his bones and was powerless to avoid the despair that came with it. He worried and fretted about Bilbo who was now in the tents down there on the foot of the mountain and alone. Wanted to go there but knew that his honor and given oaths to his uncle weighted more as his wants and needs. He only hoped that Mahal would be kind on him and grand him his wishes if he managed it to stay honorable to the end.

And when his hands finally brought him over the edge into his release that night, Fili felt hollow because it was his own hand and not that of Bilbo that had brought him his temporally relieve. That night, he wept himself like a Dwarfling into a fitful sleep.

When the deadly killing blow finally came hours later, it was a blessing for Fili in a way. his soul let go on the body almost at the same time his poor baby brother breathed his last breath too and together, as always, the two soared into the sky and away from all the oaths that had held them prisoner before.  
Finally, finally they were free to do as they wished.


	2. The Haunting

**The seven days of the death **

'_Love. What is it that makes us feel so jealous, possessive and has us obsess about one other soul in our life? For one, it is a gentle emotion, a growing thing that makes them feel whole but for others it can be like the unstoppable avalanche that sweeps them from their feet to drown them.'_

_Old sayings… _

**PART TWO, The haunting**

Bilbo looked around blearily.

His head hurt, his entire body was one combined place of pain, if he was honest and his view was slightly off. From the hit he had received to his poor head, he was in no doubt but what really scared him was the strange, weird feeling, the ominous surety of it that, Fili was dead.

The last he had seen of the royal brothers had been shortly before he had spotted the eagles. They had run to aid their uncle, eternally the devoted nephews even in this mad war between fife armies. Shaking slightly, Bilbo rubbed his arms at the weird cold feeling that seemingly had settled deeply in his bones.

The necklace around his neck seems to weight a ton suddenly and he felt the need to lie down again. Closing his eyes for a moment, Bilbo swayed back and fort where he stood unsteadily. In his mind, he heard the crooning voice of Fili to let go, to fall asleep and forget everything else, as he had often done so in the past when Bilbo had been too tired to find sleep easily.

Well knowing that, that sleep, could be his last if he was not careful, Bilbo huffed twice and than tried to stand more stable instead. Shortly the feeling of discontent seem to wash over the poor Hobbit but he ignored it bravely as well as the strange murmurings in his head and went on with his unsuccessful tries to walk until a human warrior noticed him there in the gloom of the approaching night.

He was carried hurriedly to the healing tents right after.

What followed was a nightmare to Bilbo that he would remember and have night terrors about for the rest of his life.

Fili was indeed dead as was Kili, killed in their attempt to protect their uncle. Thorin practically did die while Bilbo sat with him and Bofur looked like ghost all the while. Sitting next the still body of his mate. Bilbo finally took a heart and dragged the not resisting Dwarf out of the tent with him in his despair.

Soon after, Bifur came and lead the poor widower away with him… or better said, he tried.

Bofur did not let go on Bilbo and so, he was forced to follow the two to a tent with the sign of the Durin family painted on the walls and staid with the family of Bofur for the rest of the night. He had the oddest nightmares that night. He did dream of Fili standing in the tent, looking pastry white, like a ghost. He never came near nor did he try to touch Bilbo in his sleep but he kept staying there and watching the Hobbit, just like Fili had done it on their journey.

What threw Bilbo off at the picture was the odd smile, more the smirk of a predator that the familiar visage held all the while that he did so. It soo did not seem to fit with what Bilbo had known of Fili and contorted the handsome face to a mask of cruelty that had Bilbo shiver, even in his sleep.

Dain Ironfoot took one look at Bofur in the next morning to than make a face and than bow deeply to the widower of Kili. Than he strode out without a word spoken and left them to their peace again. Bilbo found that behavior rather strange if not crude.

Later came Gandalf and than came Balin.

The latter finally explained the strange way the other Dwarves choose to interact with Bofur out of the sudden, to the poor confused Bilbo.

"You see, laddy, it is like this." The old Dwarf had told the concerned and slightly angry Bilbo to calm him down when he was about to go and kick the leader of the Iron mountain Dwarrow's. "When the mate of a Dwarf dies, they usually do not survive that for long."

"What?!" At Bilbo's clueless and shocked look, Balin had sighed and told Bilbo what he knew.

"We are bound to our mates by Mahal and Yavanna's grace, you see. Especially so, when the mates are the One of each other, they rarely survive the dead of their partners any longer as a year at best. Usually, when there are children, their mates survive, for the life and happiness of the children that need a parent. Otherwise, their spouses usually die. It is one of the curses of our race that hinder our growing into a bigger society and also why there are not so many Dwarves in Arda as there are humans or elves."

At his words, Bilbo felt a sudden chill run over his spine…he knew that phrase from somewhere…

Looking around him covertly, Balin suddenly moved closer to the befuddled Hobbit. He gave Bilbo a contemplative look before he went on, in a much more hushed voice as before. It was barely above a whisper.

"It… is complicated and not… often spoken about to outsiders but since I saw the chain that you hide under your tunic laddy, I think, a fair warning is in order because, I have the fear that Fili did something not very honorable to you, lad!"

Bilbo gave the Dwarf a confused look. He had always had the feeling that there was something fishy going on with this present from Fili, although he could never prove it.

"You mean this one? He made me promise to not take it off with any explanation given in as to why." Bilbo showed it shortly to Balin who blanched slightly when he heard the Hobbit's words.

Balin gave a short nod, his face suddenly grim.

"Exactly as I feared it to be! Stupid boy! What was he thinking he was doing… oh, never mind now. What is done is done."

He shook his head sorrowfully.

"Listen, Bilbo, this is very important so listen closely!" He waited until Bilbo nodded earnestly. "I cannot tell you everything, it is against the rules of my kin but I can tell you this at least: never ever show any reaction to voices or visions or Valar forbid, try to talk to the death! This sounds crazy, I know but head my warnings or you will find out the dark secret of that necklace all too soon. And _Never, Ever_ open your doors on the seven days and nights of the death in the Dwarvish calendar to anyone!"

Bilbo gulped.

What was Balin trying to tell him here? That the death could come back to haunt him? He had read up a little about Dwarves in his youth and knew that they believed that in some cases the deceased could come back in those seven days of the year that where dedicated to the seven fathers of the Dwarves, to try to charm others into following them to the halls of their forefathers.

He couldn't mean…!

Balin nodded calmly when he saw the realization seep into Bilbo's eyes.

"Better even, try to close the doors, the windows and every other way inside as best as you can. Take talismans from the elves with you to banish evil spirits or to keep what they call the houseless out of your Smial, Bilbo. Do not bother with the Dwarvish ones; they will not help you with this. We are forbidden from it to interferer and technically, I am walking a very thin line here with telling you this all, lad. However, you deserve it since Fili has not seen it fit to ask and warn you properly as it is custom. He should have known better, the boy."

With that Balin rose and with a last pat on Bilbo's head and a murmured take care, he left the tent.

He left a bewildered Bilbo in his wake that suddenly felt rather cold and uneasy. He was faster up and out as Bofur could grasp him by his tunic. Outside, Bilbo fast tried to locate Gandalf and found him finally in the tent of the elven King who looked rather spooked at the air behind Bilbo before he did something strange.

A set of elvish word hit the air staccato like meanwhile he made some signs with his pale hands and the strange feeling of being watched all day suddenly vanished from Bilbo's mind. He let a gasp of relieve escape before he addressed Gandalf and asked him and Thranduil for help.

He learned that day that one of the animosities between the Dwarves and the Elves stemmed from the Dwarrow custom to follow their dead mates into the next world or better said, the ghosts of the deceased haunting the living until they did! They literally did not leave them alone until they gave in and left their shells behind.

In the cases of mated pairs, they almost every time did so. Only when there where small children, they found the strength to keep on living. Mahal obviously forbade their mates then to haunt them to have them take care of the little ones.

In Bilbo's case, it was a bit different.

He had never really agreed to Fili courting him and neither had he exchanged the needed vows for his Ghost to have full power over his soul. Nevertheless, he had made the promise, by Yavanna and Aule, the latter in the speech of the Dwarves called Mahal, to never take it off and so, had given the sly brat the right to haunt him in a way at least to make him give in.

Bilbo's poor head was reeling and he suddenly understood why Dain had looked at Bofur with such a grimace of pity and pain, he had known about it the moment he had seen the poor Dwarf that he was properly lost already. Churning with anger, Bilbo took note of everything he was told that he had to avoid and what he had to do in order to have his peace from a certain Ghost and went back to the tent.

Armed with some amulets and other stuff that was effectively warding off unwelcome Ghosts of the Houseless from Thranduil and his advisors and elves that had knowledge about these things.

The first thing that Bilbo did was to sidestep a surprised Bifur and Bombur and put an amulet around Bofur's neck, than he sat down and waited. Not for long. Soon the poor Dwarf looked back at him with sadness in his lovely eyes that nearly broke Bilbo's heart.

"Take that off again, please! I can no longer hear Kili with that around my neck!" He shook his curly head, all the while aware of it that a sudden, angry wind seems to howl around the tent.

"**NO!** I cannot imagine Kili to be that callous to want to drive you into an early Grave just to have you faster with him in the halls of Mandos! I wonder," He mused aloud, while not directly addressing the angry Ghosts around the tent that had fallen eerily silent when Bilbo had spoken up, "if that is what it means to be loved by him? I mean was he really that selfish? To hurt you now only to get his will? I always thought him to be kind and good soul and would have followed him and his brother everywhere but this…this is below their honor to do and I refuse to believe that they would do such evil only to get their will!"

There was suddenly such a silence around them all, you could have heard a feather fall onto the earth.

An angry, wraithlike howl, a rattling of the rafters of the tent and gone were the presences of whatever had hovered around Bofur and Bilbo since the battle. Nodding to himself, Bilbo stood and went packing. He addressed Bifur over his shoulder, not turning around to see if the Dwarf would do what he said.

"Bifur, take Bofur's bundle and pack it, Now! I will take him back with me to Hobbington. Here, he is not safe. They would get him here as certainly as the sky is blue. There, I can work with the magic of the shire to hold them at bay, here the area is drenched in Dwarrow magic and nothing would work for long. The very land belongs to your people, an ineffective wish at best to try to fight them here or to make them see reason. Too stubborn those two idiots, even when dead. The whole bunch of them, confound the entire line!"

He went calmly on to pack his own travel pack while he heard Bifur begin to rustle around in the tent behind him and Bombur quietly sob while helping his cousin.

"Gandalf and the eagles will help us to gain as much distance between the mountain and us as they can. That should give us some advantage, although, maybe you would rather die that way, Bofur?" He finally turned around to the slowly more conscious looking Bofur in Bombur's shocked hold on his brother. Bilbo fixed his gaze with that of the miserable looking toymaker.

The Dwarf gave him a sad look and than shook his head slowly.

"No, I do not. As much as I love and miss him already, I would like to stay a bit longer in this world. If only to see my family settle and they find happiness of their own, Bilbo. He always knew that I wished for that. But I do not believe that we have a chance, not with them, both determined, as they are, ye do not understand, Bilbo! They are Durin's! And one of the line of Durin has nether failed to take their loved ones with them to the halls of Mahal. Ever!"

Bilbo's smile was positively evil when Bofur looked beseechingly at the Hobbit and reminded him strangely at Fili's from the night at the gate.

"Well, my dear friend, then they will simply have to be the firsts! Because, I am a Hobbit and Fili tricked me, with your knowledge but about that, we will talk later. Rest assured, Bofur I do not plan to die any time soon. No matter what that insolent brat of a Durin thinks. If he wanted something from me before, he should have staid Alive and told Me, damnit!"

He huffed crossly and turned to his packing again.

Behind him, Bifur snorted and Bombur and even Bofur sniggered madly at his outburst.

In the end, the eagles had one unexpected extra guest that refused adamantly to step down from his wish to accompany them back to the shire; Bifur. Who had refused to leave his cousins side in this time of need, and if only to bring Bofur's bones back to the Mountain as well as Bilbo's if both failed in their try to escape the them haunting brothers. To burry them here within the tombs of the Prince's, as it was custom. No one had hindered them, but than again, all had been at the burial of the last of the direct line of the house of Durin when the eagles came to get them.

Only they had been amiss in the gathering and once Dain had noted that and researched for them, he found them already gone to the Valar only knew, where.

He silently wished them luck and went on with his duties.

Bilbo was fuming, no, he was absolutely livid with fury to be honest. Bodily vibrating in his silent rage even. His wrath hung around the small Hobbit like a dark cloud and made even the eagle that bore him, Landroval, gulp. Whatever had set Bilbo off; he did not want to become a part of it. Gandalf only gave the Hobbit a silent look of understanding and kept silent.

Before they had set off, Bilbo had overheard a conversation between Dain and one of the ravens.

Lady Dis had died the moment her sons and brother had breathed their last breath. The Dwarrow that had been near her that day had seen the vague shape of her former husband appear and then she had simply stopped breathing. Her body would be brought to Erebor for the funeral on the side of her ancestors within the next weeks, together with that of her husband that would be dug out of his current grave for that.

Bilbo found that custom ghastly and cursed Thorin in his mind profoundly.

Yep, Bilbo was one fumingly mad bundle of angry energy right now and that already, since four hours with no sign of abating of his anger! He just knew that Thorin had a hand in this, only if he could prove it. Sighing, Bilbo snuggled slowly into the warm feathers and finally let himself go enough to cry.

For Dis that he had never known but couldn't help to feel sympathy for nonetheless.

For Kili, bright and laughing and always-happy young Kili, who had never had a chance to become a real prince.

For Thorin, the king under the mountain, that never really was the king in the end, even deserving it like no other possibly before him in his line.

For Bofur, normally so kind and happy and full of life, Bofur, who now was a wreck and haunted by a Ghost.

For himself, because he wished that he had seen this coming earlier and could have done something, anything about it in time whereupon he now would never have a chance to do so.

Finally, Bilbo cried for Fili too.

Even being mad at him, Bilbo cried for the loss of the chance of Fili to ever be the great king he had shown the promise to become. Wonderful, calm, clever, maddening and prone to practical mischief, Fili, who would now always be beyond Bilbo's and all others reach and never laugh or smirk at them all again.

Even if he had felt a slight attraction to the Dwarf before, now Bilbo felt only cold horror when he thought of Fili, that and anger for being tricked into this situation. He still did somewhat not believe that this all was real! It sounded like a story out of a book with bad fairytales to the Hobbit. However, he knew that fooling himself would not keep him and Bofur safe in the end. If anything, it would only give Fili and Kili the time to work them over.

He could not risk that, in neither case, Bofur's nor his.

He trusted Gandalf and if he said it was true, then it was so. As much as Bilbo hated it. Didn't matter, he thought, he had now to keep not only himself but also one of his dearest friends safe and those two rascals from doing something stupid. Bilbo sighed. From what he had gathered, Gandalf had not wanted for something like this to happen to Bilbo. He had tried his best to keep the Hobbit clueless from these darker facts of Dwarrow lore and way of life and that in turn had somewhat backfired on the Wizard in the end.

Because, Fili that horrible, clever, genius had seen right through it, had taken advantage of the Wizard's absence, and had settled Bilbo with this cursed necklace of his when Gandalf wasn't around!

Bilbo had always been wary of the older of the brothers, not only because Fili had always stared so intently at him but also because he had instinctually felt the attraction between them. A silent voice in his mind had always warned him to come to near to the flame of the blond haired swordsman; hence, he would not burn in his flames otherwise!

A bad metaphor, Bilbo was aware of it, but it fit the situation all the same in the end.

He groaned into the enduring feathers of the eagle that by now had a good laugh out of the Hobbit on his back. That small creature was obviously not fond of heights but in his fuming before, the Hobbit had ignored that until now in favor to be angry. Landroval wondered how long it would take the tiny creature to become aware of it again…

It took Bilbo not too long, as it turned out. He turned a rather alarming shade of green when he finally got aware of it that had Gandalf shortly fear for the worst.

Soon after he had calmed down, he risked a glance over one side and ever since clutched now the feathers of the amused eagle while Bilbo looked awed at the sight of the land under the mighty wings of the eagle.

The eagles took them all the way back to the valley of Imladris. Rivendell, Bilbo found out to his uttermost surprise, had somehow lost its glow in his eyes. Seeing it now, with all the pain and loss behind him, he could suddenly no longer bear it to be here for longer as necessary. And once they reached the invisible borders, the presence in his mind that Bilbo had come to associate with Fili's staring at him in the past vanished abruptly.

Only a lonesome twin howling of two ghostly voices told him that his musings had been right, the two could not follow them here.

Lord Elrond took care to research all he knew about this Dwarvish custom and how one could avoid it to fall victim to Mahal's macabre gift to his children.

Even with his help, it took Bilbo and the others weeks to uncover all that there was while his nights where filled with strange dreams.

It begun a week into their stay that Bilbo began to have them. Dreams of Fili's voice, coming to him like through a thick fog, calling out to Bilbo to leave that place and he pleaded with the Hobbit to come back to him. When he woke the first time, Bilbo was covered in sweat and shivered wildly. The voice had sounded so lonely, so sad…

The next was much the same and it was well into the second week of their stay when they begun to change in tune.

Now, Bilbo often heard Fili rant in the distance never at him but at his hosts. At his inability to come near to Bilbo to watch him. He took to seduction in the end of the third week. Telling Bilbo in detail how much he missed it to see him. That he wanted to hold him again as he had done at the Carrock, that he wanted him safe.

The once so loved voice began to become a constant menace in Bilbo's life because the brat took to it to describe to Bilbo all the things he had wanted to do to Bilbo if he had survived.

When Bilbo finally mentioned this to Elrond, his room was warded up to the ceiling and the dreams, thankfully stopped.

He finally set off with the others and Gandalf after a three months lasting stay and was armed to the necks with new talismans and amulets, and some heavier magic's, written down onto scrolls to keep the unwanted company away from them all. Bofur had recovered nicely while they staid here and Bilbo had the suspicion that the elf lord had something to do with it.

Fife weeks later, the strange menagerie of travelers reached the Shire… only to have to break up Lobelia's selling off all the items of Bilbo's estate in the end.

To get lost of her was easy, Bilbo only looked at Bofur who in turn looked at Bifur and a few minutes later the nasty relative of Bilbo could suddenly close her mouth and run home. White as a sheet and bare of Bilbo's silver spoons. It was almost midnight when all of them finally found some rest. Bilbo was the last to go to bed, after he had secured every single talisman in place as he had been told.

He took no risks anymore. Not after Fili had managed it to somehow reach him in Rivendell and all that happened in between the Shire and the elven realm.

In the last three weeks, since leaving the borders of Rivendell, he had felt again something, someone following them on their travels.

Shivering, Bilbo had told that to Gandalf when Bofur was asleep and Bifur was busy. The Wizard had done something but it had not worked much. If anything, it had made the Ghosts angry and they had to bear with uncommon rabbit weather changes all the way back until they hit the borders of the Shire lands and as Elrond had predicted it, Yavanna's gentle nature magic stopped the malevolent acting up of whatever followed them here somewhat.

They behaved suddenly a lot less like wrights and more like menaces what had Gandalf soon grumble annoyed at their antics.

His pipe vanished out of his robe to reappear further away from Gandalf were it seemingly lit itself and puffed itself away all from alone while they all could only stare at the floating pipe, right out of their reach with unbelieving eyes. Then it fell down to the earth with a loudly clatter and all of them heard the childish laughter of Kili shortly fill the air out shortly after. With a mighty curse upon his lips, Gandalf reclaimed his pipe.

Bilbo's waistcoat got suddenly wings and flew in front of the frantically trying to catch it Hobbit, always a step ahead of the poor Bilbo. That went on until Bilbo cursed Fili to hell and back threatened to go back to Erebor to place a warg into Fili's coffin if he did not give it back… surprisingly, it worked. The coat fell right into his arms after that.

However, from that day on, Bilbo saw strange shapes float around them all from time to time and refused to further address any of the ghosts to not deepen their fell magic on work.

The next that happened was that Bofur's poor hat changed the color from brown to a bright red. The poor Dwarf needed half a day to get the color out of it again, cursing all the time it took and asking Bilbo if he would let him come along to place Ork shit into Kili's grave for the stunt. Right on his Mates cock if he could manage it.

He had Bilbo double over in laugher and the ghosts in a fit.

After that declaration, all of their items in the camp formed a sudden whirlwind around them all that needed hours to calm down again. Bifur nearly lost his conscious because he laughed that hard when he saw the riot, that he nearly hyperventilated and Gandalf simply ignored the entire thing altogether in favor to keep the angry Ghosts away from their persons.

The next that happened included their poor ponies.

They suddenly sported all kinds of insects in their furs and all had a hard time to get the blasted crawlies out of the long hair pony's winter furs again. This time the Ghosts were laughing in the end. That wend on all the time it took for them to reach Bilbo's home.

One time, Gandalf's normally grey travel garb was suddenly black in the morning, another time, Bilbo sported braids in his curls when he woke up. The latter became a habit that scared him so greatly that he had troubles to find sleep in his repulsion to have a ghost braid his hair while he was asleep. Bofur too sported braids each morning after that and Bifur's axe in the head was one morning cleaned and brushed to shine that madly in the sun that he had to cover it with dark ink from Bilbo to make the damn glowing stop. Nevertheless, strangely enough, they encountered no Ork's, Warge or Trolls on their way home.

In addition, neither bandits nor other bad folk that normally cluttered along the roads in this time of the year.

One time they saw the fresh corpses of four bandits barely hidden from sight on their way. All had sported horrified looks on their faces and looked to them like they had tried to ward something creepy off or to escape some kind of horrible monster… no one had commented on it. They had simply ridden on.

Sometimes it was better not to ask.

Once they had stepped inside of Bilbo's a bid chaotic looking Smial, Gandalf and he had set to work while Bifur and Bofur had brought the brought back items and furniture of Bilbo back inside again.

They finally had a respite from the, them haunting duo that lasted exactly as long as it took Gandalf to leave Bilbo and co. A full week. Then, the rattling of his windows and the upturning of his garden plants begun to appear. Followed from the smoke pressed back inside at night, they went without the fires burning after that to not accidentally suffocate from the smoke to end in a strange howling around the Smial by night. Footprints appeared in the soil before the house and vanished again from alone, a dead cat was laid onto Bilbo's doorstep, what made him scowl to be followed by a warg corpse that appeared unexpectedly on his rooftop.

The Hobbits begun to whisper and stay away from cursed, mad Baggins house after that.

That no one visited anymore seems to calm down the ghosts of Fili and Kili because no more animals appeared around his home. Sometimes now there was a sound filling the air around Back shot row that was sounding like a fiddle or two in some nights. Always playing haunting dirges and sad tunes and sometimes a fare away sounding voice seemed to accompany the music.

At one time, it sounded like Fili's voice, at others as Kili's.

Bofur and Bilbo exchanged worried glances with Bifur but no one of all of them dared to call out to the ghosts to stop the brothers.

Winter came with masses of snow and brought more footprints of the boots of the brothers in the snow. The duo seems to have fun to run around the house at night and to stare into certain rooms from the looks of it. At some times the frozen garden behind Bilbo's Smial looked like a war zone. Clearly, the duo had used the grounds as training area at night.

He grumbled much about it but did nothing to try to stop them, it would not have worked anyways and besides, Bilbo did not dare to step outside at night in fear of having to face the ghosts of the two at night and alone. No one knew what could happen if he ever had to. He was not willing to take on that risk. Instead, he huddled up in his bed at night and tried to drown out the howling sounds or the music that floated inside from the outside. He even hung a sheet now over the glass of his room window at night.

Near the end of the year, Lobelia decided to bother Bilbo again, despise his Smial being told of being haunted in the late!

She ranted at the surprised Bilbo for two hours, threw his mothers favorite vase against a wall and behaved like a harpy in his poor home. All of that because he refused to give her one coin of his supposedly many riches that he had to have brought back from his mad adventure in reparations for his now obviously Haunted and so, worthless estate. That was still his estate and not Lobelia's, as Bilbo did finally point it out to her in the end.

She only ceased her raving when Bifur and Bofur came back from the markets and chased her out.

Outside, she was promptly assaulted by snowballs with sharp stones inside that pelted down on the shrieking hobbit lass while she run away from the residence at her top speed.

Bilbo could only grimace at her departure and the destroyed items, vase and furniture in her wake before he stopped to look at the mess and cleaned the chaos up with a defeated sigh. Bofur helped quietly meanwhile Bifur put their groceries away. They had in the late bought a lot food in the knowledge that the seven days of the death were upon them soon.

For the period of seven days and nights, they would be unable to leave the hole or risk running into Fili and Kili…literally.

As a horrified Bilbo had to learn in Rivendell from Lord Erestor; Dwarven ghosts could take on a lend bodily form on those days. Made it was from rock and after the last night, they turned back into stone while the houseless became ghosts only again. For that entire time of seven days and nights, they would have to hole up in here and keep everything closed off so the two rapscallions could not find a way in to bother them for the entire time.

He shuddered at the mere thought of it and had even more nightmares about his fear that the two could find a way inside. Not certain what would happen then other as mayhem.

In the late, the two had become uncommonly silent. Had ceased with almost all of their former shenanigans and had being surprisingly absent at night too. No more traces of boots in the snow and only a minimum of traces of the two of being here at all. It worried Bilbo more as he could say because to him, it looked like the brothers tried to gather power for their turning into bodied beings again!

To accept it to have the two as ghosts around was one thing to deal with, but to see them again in bodily from, even if only lend to them for a time, would be dreadful and Bilbo knew that too.

It was beginning to get dark, as it was wont around this time of the year quite early, when Bilbo finally brought the rubbish out to dumb it in the garden or to store it for later burning in a small hole in the hill next to his Smial made for this purpose only. On his way there, the sun dipped low over the horizon and when he went back, Bilbo felt a fleeting, cold touch in his hair in the darkness that made the hair on the nape of his neck stand up in fright!

Bilbo froze for a moment in place until he felt something like a fleeting kiss press on his neck that traumatized the hell out of the poor Hobbit.

With a yelp, the Hobbit threw the dustpan into the air behind him at his invisible attacker and raced back inside to slam the door behind him into the lock to then lock it and slide down against it shaking badly. It was Bifur who helped him up again without a comment and over to the fireplace to warm up and calm down. Still, the place where he had felt the ghostly lips press into his vulnerable skin took a longer while to warm up again and even rubbing the spot almost raw did not help the matter. It was as if the touch had branded itself into his skin, it even showed the faint outline of lips for a while until the mark finally faded again.

Bilbo wore a shawl from there on when he went outside, that was tugged at all the time what he stoically ignored along the whines that came with the tugging.

The next time Lobelia tried her luck in making a fuzz was in the market when Bilbo went there a week later to stock up on cheese and wasn't paying attention as he normally did it. Strangely enough, the other Hobbits had become nice to him since they had gotten it that Bilbo had a hard time when away that was littered with losses and much pain.

Who had told them that, that staid a miracle to Bilbo, Bofur and Bifur but someone seemingly had?

She ranted away once she got the sight of him and even made Bilbo loose his hold on his cheese blocks in his shock one time… only to have the blocks fall to the side in a way that was not natural, whatever Hamfast said later about it, to end up on Lobelias feet. She howled like a Warg in terror and hopped around long enough for him to escape the mess… with his cheese.

Bifur laughed himself silly once he heard about it and Bofur made a song of Bilbo the cheesy hero, the defeater of monster Hobbit ladies… needless to say he wasn't exactly silent and neither had Bofur any qualms to sing it aloud when he whittled away on something outside the Smial in daylight.

Soon the blasted song was secretly and not so secretly sung all over the Shire with mirth from the many Hobbits that had a chicken to pluck with Lobelia Sackville Baggins. And if the wind sometimes seems to whistle the melody eerily too, it did not seem to startle the Hobbits much anymore they had somehow gotten used to the ghosts that obviously did linger around Bag End in the late.

What ended with her showing up again with her husband in tow to rant at Bilbo. This time, Bofur took to it to chase her away, with a broom in hand he practically chased them down the entire way to the market with a wicked grin of glee on his face what had more than one Hobbit double over in laughter, seeing the spectacle. Later he came back whistling a merry tune and looking better as in the last months all together.

That night he was rather merry for the first time in months so, neither Bifur nor Bilbo had the heart to scold him for his reckless act.

The next week went by without a trouble than someone set fire to the outside store hole of Bilbo at night what nearly ended up in burning the Smial down by accident if some ghostly rattling of the windows had not woken them all up in time to drench the flames with snow and had him call for the Shirrif's.

They found nothing else as Hobbit footprints in the snow that day but since no one knew from whom they had been made, the entire affair ended in nothing and Bilbo did not store anything burnable in it again for a while. He cursed in unison with Bifur and Bofur about this while they boarded up the hole in the wall and while all three were, certain that Lobelia had something to do with this they could not proof it. When she showed up the day after to complain about it that Bilbo had told the Shirrif's about her buggering him all the time, he screamed back in equal volume to leave him alone.

In the end, she said something that made Bilbo blanch and implore her to take it back.

"Maybe your, so called drunken lot of *Ghosts* that you shelter in your Smial did set it to fire! They are just homeless and dangerous Dwarves of all things anyways Bilbo Baggins! Instead of trying to become respectable again you harbor those overly hairy no goods in this Smial, especially that one with the stupid hat is dangerous and I told as much to the bounders. However, what is to expect from a Hobbit with Took blood other as trouble. You will never become respectable with the bloodline of your no good mother in your veins! Bungo should have married another lass."

Without to listen to him and having spew out her poison, Lobelia went home. Quite happy with herself once she saw Bilbo's looks of rage and hurt. She never even listened to his pleas to take her words back. She did, however turn a little pale when the angry snarls and howls suddenly filled the air the like they had not sounded around Bilbo's Smial in a longer while. If that was possible, Bilbo blanched even further before he pressed the hands to his ears with a whimper and run back inside for cover when a whirlwind of snow suddenly took up with the howls and raced after Lobelia that squeaked seeing it coming her way and run home on her top speed.

Hamfast, who had seen the entire thing, threw the snow from the rooftop of his family Smial onto her when she went his way in his anger.

Then he went to the Smial while mumbling apologies out aloud all the time while wringing his hands frantically in his fear and told to whoever was listening to him that he only wanted to comfort poor Master Baggins until his wonderful Dwarves came back. He was, of course talking to the Ghosts he was certain that lived in Back end now. Nothing did happen to the kind gardener, neither that night when he walked back or at any time later.

The next morning, his Smial's rooftop was free of any newly fallen snow and magically staid that way as well as Back End's rooftop staid surprisingly snow-free.

For a few days, all traces of Fili and Kili's ghosts magically seem to have vanished around the Smial.

Then, three days after her visit, two of the bounders, the Majors of Hobbington and Michel Delving and the Thain visited Bilbo, Bifur, and Bofur suddenly. All the bounders did was to look at the hands of the two dwarves before the older one shook his graying head. "They weren't it, that's for certain, Thain. They have none of the cuts that should be there nor any other wounds and the hands of those two here are too big to have left the bruises. Also, their weapons from what I know are a mattock and a boar spear and not arrows and swords."

At those words, all three paled and Bilbo finally inquired what was going on.

The story was short.

Someone had gained entry to the Smial of the Sackville-Baggins and had practically driven the older Hobbits out of it while the son had slept at a friend's home. Whoever it was, had hunted the pair over the entire fields outside of Hobbington and had spiked them with arrows before another must have slowly but steadily cut them into pieces with a short sword right on the graveyard of Hobbington where no one had heard their cries, not even the old Hobbit living there had heard them that night. Nevertheless, that wasn't such a miracle, the old guy was half-deaf on both ears and they were killed far from his house under an old tree that overshadowed the older part of the old graveyard.

The Bounders had searched for them the yesterday when their son found the evidence of an intruder in the house and had called for them. Babbling about his mother having made the Dwarves in Bilbo's home mad all the time in his shock to find the entire home of his smeared with Bloody handprints that were bigger as that of a grown Hobbit's.

The bloody trail the attackers had left behind made it easy to follow it back to where the Bounders finally found the leftovers of Lobelia and Ortho at the tree and in it. The one that found them first had to throw up right after and the other two had not fared much better at the picture they where presented with. They had to use a ladder to get the heads and other various parts of their bodies down from the old tree in the end. The check on Bifur and Bofur's hands made clear that the bloody handprints in the house of the Sackville Bagginses weren't theirs and they had been home as Bilbo told them all. What was soon confirmed from Hamfast and his wife, Bell Gamgee.

Once all had been told and proved by various other Hobbits' they were left alone again. All three exchanged grave looks and sat down heavily in the kitchen after a while.

None of them went out that day or to the hastily burial of the two unfortunate souls that had roused the wrath of the ghosts of the prince's of the line of Durin. Instead, the three kept on stocking up for the seven days and tried mentally to steel themselves for the visit that surely was to come very soon now.

All Bilbo could do later when he was huddled under the covers of his bed, was to cry for the two fools that did not listen to warnings given and mourn for the lost lives of his relatives. As much an annoyance they had been, he had not wished them that end!

If he ever caught Fili and Kili, he swore he would kick them in the ass for it, this had been unnecessary!

That night he dreamed of a mad chase through the nightly winter landscape, of the terror that the person had felt and the horror of it when finally faced with something that seemingly had come right out of one of the horror tales of old to hunt them down! Of two rough and barely reconcilable voices that mocked their victims before the screaming began and he was woken roughly up by a shaking Bofur who promptly hugged the sobbing Bilbo close and crawled into his bed to keep him company that night and nearly every other after.

Just holding the shaking Hobbit and trying not to shake himself from his own nightly terror that he had just moments before.

The two Ghosts of the Durin boys were clearly tired of waiting and made that known quite clearly as well as that they would not suffer any other overstepping towards the two in the bed either in the future. Bofur recognized the warning given for what it was and only kept his mouth shut to no more fright poor Bilbo with it.

While Bifur took up a silent guard at the bedroom floor, never sleeping and simply watching the flames of the hearth as if they could tell him all the secrets of the world.


End file.
